GPS May Day Celebrates 100 Years

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Girls Preparatory School will celebrate “100 Years of May Day” Wednesday at the school’s annual May Day pageant.

The event began in simpler form in 1914 and, after a two-year hiatus during World War I, continued in different locales, including Signal Mountain and Jackson Park. Since 1947, May Day has been held on the GPS campus except for two years when moves were necessitated by campus construction.

Members of the Class of 2014 will be presented at 2 p.m. in the Smith Courtyard of the school, followed by student-choreographed class dances set to the music of ‘N Sync, the Jackson 5, the Beatles, the Chordettes, and Irene Cara from Flashdance.

The traditional winding of the blue, yellow, and pink May Poles by members of the sophomore class and the singing of the Alma Mater conclude the event.

Senior Jessica Erhart was elected by the student body to reign as May Queen this year. Her Maid of Honor is Emily Cullum, whose mother also was chosen for that role in her senior year. Other members of the May Court are Mary Chandler Gwin, Megan Rohn, Meghna Talluri, and Lucy Whitfield.

Today’s May Queen and Court are chosen by the following criteria: Members of the court are representative in the “highest sense” of the ideals of the school, and they are chosen in part because of the positive contributions they make in all areas of school life.

The 2014 May Court includes academic and athletic stars, club leaders and publications’ editors, members of the orchestra, and dedicated community service volunteers. This year, all also happen to be members of the National Honor Society.

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